2 free, simple ways to improve your studies

Getting straight into it, why would you want to improve productivity?

I suppose people would fall into 3 categories here

1)    Wanting to get more done in the time you have available

2)    Wanting to get the same amount done in a shorter time

3)    A bit of both

Let’s face it, there are probably going to be things you don’t like doing this year, but you want to do well, so you choose to do them. Let’s look at how to speed up this process with 2 simple tools.

1) Have a plan

Before you even begin studying for the day, have a clear plan.  Know exactly what you want to get done in this session.  For instance, it may simply be to get up to date with your maths exercises before dinner.

Make sure these 2 things are covered in your plan.

i)               When will you be studying?

What blocks of time will you allocate for studying? What about for leisure? Article to come on why you should have a clear separation between the two.

What will you do if you finish something early or if you don’t finish at all?

ii)             What will you be studying?

The name says it all, which subject are you dedicating this block to.  Is it Maths, English, Chemistry or something else today? What is the most urgent?  If nothing is urgent what will give you the most bang for buck?

2) Eliminate distractions

This is anything that takes you away from the task at hand and isn’t urgent. 

Why is this important?

In a word, productivity (name of the article right?).  I’m guessing you want to get the biggest bang for your buck or you wouldn’t be reading this (is anybody actually reading this?).  Researchers find that switching between tasks (ie distractions) lowers productivity.

Identify distractions

The first step is to know what distracts you.

Here are some common ones that I’m sure will affect a huge chunk of students (and everyone else for that matter)

Your phone and notifications

The best option would be to not have this in the same room as you when you’re studying.

But what if you’re waiting for an urgent call/text?

First, ask yourself, is it truly urgent, or can it wait until the end of my current study block.

If it’s not urgent, then what’s the harm in waiting for your study block to end to answer it? 

If it is urgent, here are some options

·      Adjust the settings on your phone so you’re only able to receive the urgent call and nothing else

·      Schedule the phone call for the end of the study block

·      Block off all other notifications until your study period is over

Laptop

I get it, you probably need to use your laptop for your studies.  That doesn’t mean you can’t implement some little hacks to eliminate a lot of potential distractions.

Do you need to be connected to the internet right now?

If not, stay off it.  You’re much less likely to be tempted to distract yourself. 

Notifications

Ding! You hear that tone and it takes you away from what you were doing.  ‘I wonder who that is, is it important?’

Block all these for a pre-specified time

Need to use the web?

Log out of your social media and block websites using SelfControl.

Television

It may shock you to hear this, but having the television on is not going to help you study.

Change rooms or turn off the television. If you absolutely have nowhere else to study and you must be in front of the TV, position yourself with your back to it.

Anything else?

Ask yourself, what are my distractions?  Be as honest as you can.  The more you identify and eliminate, the lesson time you’ll spend distracted and the more productive you will be.

Actionable steps

Quite simple, set a clear intention for your study session and eliminate as many distractions as you know of.

Let me know how you go!